Apparatus for applying gum to a label picker



March 21, 1967 s. 'r. CARTER 3,310,030

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 19657' SheetsSheet l INVENTOR SIDNEY T. CARTER March 21, 1967 s. T. CARTER3,310,030

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM To A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 19637 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR. SIDNEY T. CARTER ATT'YS March 21, S. T. CARTER APPARATUS FORAPPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 1963 7Sheets-Sheet 5 R Q 3 (Q Q "Lg INVENTOR. SIDNEY T. CARTER I BY ATT'YSMarch 21, 1967 s. 'r. CARTER 3,310,030

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 1963'7 Sheets-Sheet 4 F 1 1 Q i j N I I x m I w Q \3 IlllllllllllllllllINVENTOR. SIDNEY 7: CHPTH? BY A ( Zinwr Q March 21, 1967 s. T. CARTER3,310,030

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 1965'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

March 21, 1967 I s. T. CARTER 3,310,030

I APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKEP.

Original Filed May 20, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 llll [I I! II [III IIINVENTOR. '5/17/V[ 7? 09272)? nun BY @4- March 21, 1967 S. T. CARTERAPPARATUS FOR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Original Filed May 20, 19637 Sheets-Sheet 7 W mi T g1. I p 4/4 21 2 22 4/5/l b 4 1:

222x? ikrjz 4/8 INVENTOR. S D/ H 7T CRETE? ATT'Y! United States Patent3,310,030 APPARATUS FUR APPLYING GUM TO A LABEL PICKER Sidney T. Carter,Shrewsbury, Mass, assignor to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing Co., Cudahy,Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Griginal application May 20, 1963, Ser.No. 281,624, now Patent No. 3,262,422, dated July 26, 1966. Divided andthis application Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,409

13 Claims. (Cl. 118261) This invention pertains to label-applyingapparatus and more especially to an improved gum receptacle and deviceswhereby gum is taken from the receptacle and presented in readiness fortransfer to a picker, the present application being a division ofcopending application for Letters Patent, Ser. No. 281,624, filed May20, 1963 nOW Patent No. 3,262,422, issued July 26, 1966 by Sidney T.Carter for Apparatus for Applying Gum to a Label Picker.

An object of the invention is to provide a gum-supply roll of approvedtype and for transferring gum from a gum box or reservoir to the supplyroll; a further object being to provide a transfer roll and supply rollwith which the transfer roll cooperates wherein provision is made for sorelatively adjusting the rolls as to insure the application of a coatingof uniform thickness to the transfer roll. A further object is toprovide a gum box and means for spreading gum uniformly over theperipheral surface of a gum-presenting or supply roll which may readilybe removed from the machine for cleaning without requiring the use oftools or the removal or loosening of retaining elements.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invent-ion will bepointed out in the following more detailed description and by referenceto the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view (omitting the label magazineand certain other parts), showing the gum-applying apparatus of thepresent invention as embodied in a rotary or turret-type labelingmachine, the two gum-applying or transfer rolls being shown at a time atwhich they are both closely adjacent to but spaced from the gum-supplyor presenting roll, while the picker, having taken a label (not shown)from the magazine, is on its way to the transfer position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly in perspective, of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing the parts at a different point in thecycle, one of the gumapplying or transfer rolls being in contact withthe gumsupply roll, while the other roll, having received gum, has movedtoward the position at which it will soon be contacted by the picker toapply gum to the latter, the picker now being at the transfer position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the casing or housingfor the gears and cams which actuate the gum-transfer rolls and picker,with some parts broken away, and showing the several shafts in endelevation and diagrammatically indicating the locations of some of thecams;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation (but with a portion shown magnified),illustrating the gum-presenting or supply roll with its shaft;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section in the vertical plane of the axis of thegum-presenting roll, illustrating an attachment which comprises thegum-presenting roll and its supporting and driving shaft;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sect-ion on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical section on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevation of the gum-presenting roll,

the gum box and gum-elevating roll; and the scraper assembly for thepresenting roll;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the gum box removed from the machine;

FIG. 10 is a partial view on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a rear elevation of the gum-spreading device removed from themachine;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front elevation of the spreading device removedfrom the machine; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary face-view of the gum-elevating roll.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a gum box Z (FIG. 2) forholding liquid gum, having therein a gum-elevating roll 20 which picksup gum from the box and applies it to the peripheral surface of aconstantly rotating gum-supply or presenting roll 18a (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and5). From the roll 18a gum is taken by two independent rotary transferrolls R and R (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), one of which receives gum from theroll 18a and applies it to the picker during one picker cycle, while theother transfer roll takes gum from the supply or presenting roll 18a andapplies it to the picker during the following cycle, the means foractuating the picker and the two transfer rolls being so devised thatone transfer roll may be receiving gum from the elevating roll, whilethe other transfer roll is applying gum to the picker, and vice versa.

While of broader utility, the label-picking and gumapplying mechanism ofthe present invention is here illustrated and described with particularreference to its application to a labeling machine of the rotary type.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is diagrammatically shown, in side elevation,a casing or housing C for the gears and actuating cams for thegum-transfer rolls and picker. This casing supports bearings for theseveral shafts involved in driving the operative parts. Thus, thegumtransfer rolls R and R are here shown (FIG. 2) as carried,respectively, by a long lever arm 14a and a relatively shorter lever arm17a, these arms being fixed to rock shafts 15a and 16a respectively. Thegum-supply or presenting roll is diagrammatically indicated at 18a; andthe position of the label magazine is indicated by broken lines at M;and one end of the picker shaft appears (FIG. 3) at 38. The centers ofcertain other shafts, hereafter to be referred to, are indicated at C CC 0*, C and C respectively.

In FIG. 1 the casing or housing C is shown, merely by way of example, asassociated with a labeling machine of the rotary or turret type abovereferred to, comprising the horizontal table Y which is turned bymechanism (not here illustrated), and upon which is mounted a series ofbottle carriers Rm, each having a bottle-steadying bracket Bm whichholds the bottle in upright position and prevents it from tipping inresponse to the pressure of the label pressing pad. Associated with eachholder there is a grip-finger device comprising, as here shown, upperand lower parts N and N designed, respectively, to press the neck andbody labels, delivered by the picker, against the bottle.

The picker is of the separable blade type comprising the blades K1 andK2 which, when separated, hold the label by its ends so that the labelextends transversely of the bottle path and is thus contacted by themoving bottle.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gum is delivered to the gum-supplyor presenting roll 18a from an opentopped reservoir or gum box Z (FIG.2), having therein a rotating gum elevating roll 20, here shown as adisc having peripheral teeth 317. A doctor blade or scraper 22 (FIGS. 1,2 and 6) is urged toward the roll 18a under spring pressure and operatesto spread the gum longitudinally of the roll 18a. Associated with this"doctor blade 22 there are scraper blades 22a. (FIGS.

3 \1, 2 and 11) which remove gum from the ends of the roll 18a andreturn it to the gum box.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 12, the presenting roll 18a, which isdesirably, although not necessarily, of porcelain or other ceramicmaterial and which, for example, may be of the order of 3 inches indiameter and of a length of approximately 6 inches, is substantiallycylindrical and fixed to one end of a rigid shaft 304 (FIG. 5) whichturns in bearings in a frame 300a comprising the spaced verticalsupporting flanges 307 and 307a. These flanges have horizontal feet attheir lower edges, respectively, which rest upon a supporting plate 309on which they may slide, being normally held in fixed position by bolts310 passing up through slots in plate 309. By means of adjusting screws308 and 308a (FIGS. 6 and 7), the flanges 307 and 307a may be adjusted(after loosening bolts 310) in a direction perpendicular to the verticalplane of the axis of the shaft 304 thereby to adjust the roll 18a bodilyin a horizontal plane.

The supporting plate 309 rests upon vertically adjustable screws 311 and312 (FIG. 5) having threaded engagement with brackets 313 and 314carried by a fired part 315 of the machine frame. By this means the axisof the roll 18a may be adjusted vertically.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical roll 18a has a peripheral grooveapproximately midway between its opposite ends and Within this groovethere are arranged gear teeth 316 of suitable shape for drivingengagement with the teeth 317 (FIGS. 2 and 13) formed on the edge of thegum-elevating or supply roll 20.

Referring to FIG. 5, the shaft 304, which carries the roll 18a at oneend, is provided at its opposite end with a pair of sprocket wheels,each connected to its shaft by an overrunning clutch of conventionaltype (not here shown), One sprocket is constantly driven by a chain (nothere shown), while the other sprocket is driven through suitableconnections (not shown) from the main shaft 108 (FIG. 3) which actuatesthe picker and transfer rolls. Thus, the rolls 20 and 18a turncontinuously even though the transfer rolls and pickers are notoperating. This insures a constant agitation of the gums in the gum boxsuch as to prevent it from crusting over.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5 to 13 inclusive, the frame 300a (FIG. 5),which carries the bearings for the shaft 304 to which the gum-presentingroll 18a is fixed, is provided at opposite ends with integral lugs 400and 401 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 8) which have aligned openings within whichthere are fixed bushings (not shown), a bushing 402 in the lug 400 beingof smaller maximum diameter than the bushing 403 in the lug 401. Thegum-spreading assembly 406 (FIG. 8), which includes the doctor blade 22and scraper members 22a and 418 comprises a shaft 406a (FIG. 11) havinga cylindrical portion 407 (FIG. 11) and a tapering portion 408 (FIGS. 11and 12). A friction fit is thus provided. To prevent undesired motion ofthis shaft, when the device is in use, it is provided with a radiallyextending pin 407a (FIGS. 8, 11 and 12), which, when the scraperassembly is in operative position is disposed between laterally spacedabutment surfaces (FIG. 8) and thereby prevents axial motion of thisshaft and which contacts a part of the machine frame thus limitingrotation of the shaft. However, by manually turning the shaft until thepart 407a is moved from between said abutment surfaces, the shaft 406amay be withdrawn endwise from the bushing without necessitating theremoval or loosening of set screws or other customary retaining devices.The gum-spreading assembly may thus be very readily removed from themachine, for example, for cleaning or adjustment of its parts.

Two pins 408 (FIGS. 2 and 11), spaced longitudinally of the cylindricalpart 407 of the shaft 406a, project radially from the latter and passthrough holes in a flange 409 integral with the doctor blade 22. Theouter portions of these pins 408 are screw-threaded for the reception ofwing nuts 410. Compression springs 411 are interposed between the flange409 and the peripheral surface of the part 407. By turning the wing nuts410, the lower edge 22b (FIG. 12) of the doctor or scraper blade 22 maybe adjusted relatively to the peripheral surface of the gum-presentingroll 18a.

The scraper 22a (FIG. 1) which removes gum from the outer end of theroll 18a, has its upper part (FIG. 12) clamped between a plate 412 andthe periphery of the shaft 406a by bolts 413. This end scraper blade 22ahas an upper portion provided with a vertical edge 414 which is closelyadjacent to the upper part of the outer end face of the roll 18a, whenthe parts are assembled, and another vertical edge portion 414a which isclosely adjacent to the lower part of the outer end face of the roll18a.

Adjacent to the inner end of the blade 22, a collar 415 (FIG. 11) isfixed to the shaft 406a, this collar having (FIG. 12) a portion 415awhich overlies the front face of the blade 22, and a vertical edge 416which is closely adjacent to the upper part of the inner end face of theroll 18a. An arm 417 (FIGS. 11 and 12), extends downwardly from thecollar 415 and has a scraper member 418 at its lower edge which engagesthe periphery of the shaft 304 on which the roll 18a is mounted, thisscraper edge extending from the end face of the roll to the exposedradial surface of an annulus 419 (FIG. 6), desirably of an anti-frictionmaterial such as a hard synthetic plastic, which is secured to the frame307a by screws 420 (FIG. 6).

The gum box Z (FIGS. 1 and 9) may be of any suitable materialappropriate to hold the liquid gum which is employed, although desirablyof some material which is not corroded by the gum. For example, and ashere illustrated, it is a unitary aluminum casting having an internal,integral support 421 (FIG. 9) provided with an elongate slot 422 for thereception of the gum-elevating roll 20. At opposite sides of this slotthe support 421 is provided with open bearings 423 and 423a aligned witheach other and which are designed to receive trunnion or journalelements 424 coaxial with the roll 20 and projecting from opposite sidesof the latter. These trunnions provide for free rotation of the roll 20,but, at the same time, permit the roll to be lifted freely from the gumbox without necessitating the manipulation of bolts, set screws, orother retaining devices. This gum-elevating roll 20 is here shown (FIGS.2, 9 and 13) as a disc which may, for example, be of the order ofone-half inch in thickness and of a diameter of five inches (suchdimensions being cited merely by way of example and without limitingintent), and the edge of this disc-like roll is provided with teeth 317(FIG. 13), as above described, for engagement with the teeth 21 of thegum-presenting roll 1811. While the gum-elevating roll 20 may be of anysuitable or desirable material, it has been found that a roll made fromlayers of textile fabric bonded together by means of a suitablesynthetic plastic under high pressure is desirable for the intendedpurpose, since it is not subject to corrosion by the gum and makes goodrunning contact with the teeth 21.

For supporting the gum box in position, it is provided with two rigidrods 425 and 426 projecting from its lefthand wall 427, as viewed inFIGS. 8 and 9, the box desirably having an integral, internal boss 428having a bore for the reception of the inner end of the rod 425, saidend being permanently fixed within the bore. This rod 425 is coaxialwith the trunnions 424 and provides the principal support for the gumbox, rod 425 functioning primarily to prevent the box from rockingaccidentally about the axis of the rod 425. The rod 425, as here shown,is of a length approximating the maximum dimension of the gum box, thatis to say, the length of the wall 429 (FIG. 9) of the latter. Referringto FIG. 6 there is shown a cradle 430 which is fixed to the flange 307aof the frame 300a by means of bolts 431, this cradle having an elongatesupporting surface 432, preferably, as shown, sloping downwardly at aslight angle toward its forward end and upon which the rod 425 restswhen the parts are assembled. The cradle also comprises a part 433overhanging the forward end of the surface 432, forming with the surface432 a socket within which that portion of the rod 425 (indicated inbroken lines in FIG. 6), which is adjacent to the wall 427 of the gumbox, is normally disposed. The cradle 430 is provided at its outer orrear end with a cavity 434 for the reception of the rod 426 when the gumbox is in operative position.

Near its outer or free end the rod 425 is provided with a retainingdevice 435 (here shown, FIG. 10, as a ball at the upper end of a pin 436fixed in a diametrical opening in the shaft 425). As shown in FIGS. 5and 7, the frame 300a is provided, at the opposite side from the cradle430, with a bracket 437 attached to the frame by bolts 438 and having ahorizontal flange 439 provided with a socket opening 440 (FIG. 5) of asize to receive the ball 435.

When the parts are assembled, that portion of the rod which is close tothe wall 427 of the gum box, is within the socket beneath the part 433of the cradle 430 and resting upon the surface 432, while the free endof the rod 425 is disposed below the flange 439 of the bracket 437, withthe ball 435 in the socket 440 and with the major part of the weight ofthe gum box assembly to the right of the flange 397a. The gum box isthus held firmly in place and with the teeth of the gum-elevating roll20 engaging the teeth 21 of the roll 18a. However, if it be desired toremove the gum box for washing, it is merely necessary to rock the rearedge of the gum box upwardly about the axis of the rod 425 and, in sodoing, disengage the teeth of roll 20 from the teeth of roll 18a. Thegum box may now be moved rearwardly about the ball 435 (FIG. 8) as apivot while the rod 425 slides along the surface 432 of the cradle untilthe box is free of adjacent parts and then the free end of the rod 425may be moved downwardly to disengage the ball 435 from the socket,leaving the gum box entirely free without necessitating the preliminaryloosening or removal of parts.

It will thus be appreciated that the means for supplying gum to thepresenting roll 18a is of such design and construction that it is veryeasy to clean its parts, including the scraper devices, the gum box andthe gum-elevating roll, without requiring the employment of tools as apreliminary.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has herein beendisclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that the inventionis broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A labeling machine of the kind wherein liquid gum is taken from asupply and applied to a label picker and wherein the gum is held in anopen-topped receptacle or gum box having therein a rotatablegum-elevating roll so arranged as to be partially immersed in the liquidgum, a smoothly cylindrical gum-supply roll whose axis is parallel tothat of the elevating roll and whose peripheral surface is above thelevel of the gum in the receptacle and which is so arranged as toreceive gum from the elevating roll, means for rotating the gum-supplyroll at a predetermined angular velocity, characterized in that thesupply roll has a peripheral groove approximately midway between itsends with gear teeth disposed in said groove, the tips of the teethbeing substantially flush with the periphery of the roll, and thegum-elevating roll has a peripheral row of teeth which mesh with theteeth of the supply roll, whereby the motion of the supply roll istransmitted to the elevating roll, further characterized in having adoctor blade, having a rectilinear edge extending from end-to-end of thesupply roll and which is parallel to the axis of the roll, and means foradjusting said edge toward or from the periphery of the roll thereby topro- 5 vide the surface of the supply roll with a layer of gum ofpredetermined uniform thickness.

2. In a labeling machine of the kind wherein liquid gum is taken from asupply and applied to a label picker and wherein the gum is held in anopen-topped receptacle or gum box having therein a rotatablegum-elevating roll so arranged as to be partially immersed in the liquidgum, in combination, a gum-supply roll whose axis is parallel to that ofthe elevating roll and whose peripheral surface is above the level ofthe gum in the receptacle and which is so arranged as to receive gumfrom the elevating roll, means for rotating the gum-supply roll at apredetermined angular velocity, and means whereby motion of the supplyroll is transmitted to the elevating roll, and wherein the supply rollhas teeth, for driving the elevating roll, disposed in a circumferentialgroove, and wherein a rotatable transfer roll takes gum from the supplyroll and applies it to the picker, further characterized in that thetransfer roll has a peripheral groove which registers with the teeth ofthe supply roll thereby to avoid the delivery of surplus gum to thetransfer roll by said teeth.

3. A labeling machine of the kind wherein gum from a supply roll isapplied to a label picker by a transfer roll and wherein the supply rollis cylindrical and is coaxial with and fixed to one end of a constantlydriven shaft, and means for shifting said shaft both vertically andhorizontally, whereby the supply roll may be adjusted so as to make anuninterrupted line contact with the peripheral surface of the transferroll throughout the entire length of the latter, characterized in thatthe means whereby said shaft may be shifted both vertically andhorizontally comprises bearings carried by a frame having spaced,vertical supporting elements provided with horizontal feet at theirlower edges, respectively, which rest upon a normally horizontalsupporting plate on which they may slide and to which they are normallysecured by bolts passing through slots in the plate, and means wherebysaid vertical supporting elements may be adjusted, after loosening thebolts, in a direction perpendicular to the vertical plane of the axis ofthe shaft, thereby to adjust the roll bodily in a horizontal plane, thesupporting plate resting upon vertically adjustable screws havingthreaded engagement with parts of the machine frame whereby the plate,and therewith the axis of the roll, may be adjusted vertically.

4. In a labeling machine of the kind wherein gum from a supply roll isapplied to a label picker by a rotary transfer roll and wherein thetransfer roll is mounted to turn on a crankpin fixed at one end to apower-actuated crankarm, characterized in that the transfer roll tapersin diameter, the smaller end of the roll being adjacent to the rock arm,the taper of the roll being such as to compensate for spring of thecrankpin and crankarrn when the roll contacts the picker and wherein gumis delivered to the supply roll by a gum-elevating roll partiallyimmersed in a body of liquid gum, and wherein the supply roll hasperipheral teeth for engagement with teeth on the elevating roll, theteeth on the supply roll being sunk in a peripheral groove in the latterso that their tips are substantially flush with the peripheral surfaceof the supply roll, characterized in that the supply roll is of ceramicmaterial and of unitary construction.

5. A labeling machine of the kind wherein liquid gum is taken from asupply and applied to a label picker and wherein the gum is held in anopen-topped receptacle or gum box having therein a rotatable disc-likegum-elevating roll so arranged as to be partially immersed in the liquidgum, and wherein the gum-elevating roll is provided with peripheralteeth, a constantly rotating gumsupply roll which supplies gum to atransfer roll, the supply roll having gear teeth midway between its endswhich mesh with the teeth of the elevating roll, means for rotating thesupply roll at a predetermined angular velocity whereby the teeth of theelevating roll pick up gum and deliver it to the midportion, only, ofthe supply roll, and

means operative to spread gum, delivered to the midportion of the supplyroll, uniformly over the peripheral surface of the supply roll,characterized in having means so supporting the gum box that the teethof the elevating and supply rolls may be disengaged by tilting the gumbox about the axis of the elevating roll preparatory to removing the gumbox from operative position.

6. In a labeling machine of the kind wherein liquid gum is taken from asupply and applied to a label picker and wherein the gum is held in anopen-topped receptacle or gum box having therein a rotatablegumelevating roll so arranged as to be partially immersed in the liquidgum, in combination, a gum-supply roll whose axis is parallel to that ofthe elevating roll and whose peripheral surface is above the level ofthe gum in the receptacle and to whose midportion gum is applied by theelevating roll, means for rotating the gum-supply roll at apredetermined angular velocity, and means whereby motion of the supplyroll is transmitted to the elevating roll, further characterized in thatthe gum-elevating roll is a disc, said elevating roll having oppositelydirected, coaxial trunnions, means within the box providing openhearings in which the trunnions of the gum-elevating roll are normallyseated and in which they are free to turn, and wherein the gum-elevatingroll is provided with peripheral teeth designed to mesh withcomplemental teeth of a rotating driving element, and wherein thedriving element is the aforesaid gum-supply roll which supplies gum to atransfer roll, the supply roll having gear teeth midway between its endswhich mesh with the teeth of the elevating roll, and means operative tospread gum, delivered by the elevating roll, to the midportion of thesupply roll, uniformly over the peripheral surface of the supply roll,and means for supporting the gum box comprising horizontally spaced,elongate, rigid rods projecting from one end of the box, a fixed cradlehaving a supporting surface which, when the parts are assembled, isclose to said end of the box and upon which said rods rest, the free endof one of said rods normally underlying a fixed part of the machineframe thereby preventing the box from tipping about said supportingsurface as a fulcrum but being freely disengageable from said fixedpart.

7. A labeling machine of the kind in which a transfer roll suppliesliquid gum to a label picker and having a gum box and a gum-elevatingroll within the box operative to raise gum above the normal level of thegum in the box, and means operative to turn the gum-elevating roll, thegum box being so supported that, without slackening or removing anypart, the box may be removed from its normal operative position whileconcomitantly disengaging the elevating roll from the means for turningit, characterized in that for supporting the gum box in operativeposition a rigid rod, coaxial with the axis of the elevating roll,projects from one end of the gum box, an elongate, approximatelyhorizontal rigid supporting element closely adjacent to that end of thebox from which the rod projects and upon which the rod normally rests, afixed part which normally overhangs that portion of the rod whichcontacts said supporting element and thereby prevents the rod fromrising from the supporting element, a second rod, spaced from andparallel to the first rod, which projects from the same side of the boxand which normally rests upon said supporting element, and a retainingelement at the free end of the first-named rod which normally engages asocket in a fixed part and thereby prevents the box from tipping downabout the axis of the first-named rod but which may be Withdrawnmanually from the socket thereby permitting the first-named rod to bewithdrawn from below said overhan ing part and so freeing the box to beremoved from its support.

8 In a labeling machine of the kind wherein liquid gum is taken from asupply and applied to a label picker and wherein the gum is held in anopen-topped receptacle or gum box having therein a rotatablegum-elevating roll so arranged as to be partially immersed in the liquidgum, in combination, a gum-supply roll whose axis is parallel to that ofthe elevating roll and whose peripheral surface is above the level ofthe gum in the receptacle and to whose midportion gum is applied by theelevating roll, means for rotating the gum-supply roll at apredetermined angular velocity, and means whereby motion of the supplyroll is transmitted to the elevating roll, further characterized in thatthe gum-elevating roll is a disc, said elevating roll having oppositelydirected, coaxial trunnions, means within the box providing openbearings in which the trunnions of the gum-elevating roll are normallyseated and in which they are free to turn, and wherein the gum-elevatingroll is provided with peripheral teeth designed to mesh withcomplemental teeth of a rotating driving element, and wherein thedriving element is the aforesaid gum-supply roll which supplies gum to atransfer roll, the supply roll having gear teeth midway between its endswhich mesh with the teeth of the elevating roll, and means operative tospread gum, delivered by the elevating roll, to the midportion of thesupply roll, uniformly over the peripheral surface of the supply roll,and means for supporting the gum box comprising horizontally spaced,elongate, rigid rods projecting from one end of the box, a fixed cradlehaving a supporting surface which, when the parts are assembled, isclose to said end of the box and upon which said rods rest, the free endof one of said rods normally underlying a fixed part of the machineframe thereby preventing the box from tipping about said supportingsurface as a fulcrum but being freely disengageable from said fixedpart, and the rod, whose end underlies the fixed part of the frame, hasattached thereto a peripherally located ball having a free fit in asocket in said fixed frame part, said ball constituting a pivotal axisabout which the gum box may be swung rearwardly.

9. A labeling machine of the kind in which a transfer roll appliesliquid gum to a label picker and having a gum box and a gum-elevatingroll within the box, a gumsupply roll which receives gum from theelevating roll and presents it to the transfer roll, and means forevenly spreading gum over the supply roll, and means so supporting thegum-spreading means that it may be removed from the machine withoutslackening or removing retaining elements and without disturbing anyother part of the machine, characterized in that for supporting thegum-spreading means there is provided a shaft comprising a cylindricalportion and a tapering portion; fixed, spaced parts having axiallyaligned openings for the reception of said respective portions of theshaft, the tapering portion of the shaft having a friction fit in itsrespective opening, a pin fixed to the shaft and extending radiallytherefrom, said pin, when the shaft is in operative position, beinglocated between fixed parts of the machine frame thereby preventingaxial motion of the shaft but being disengageable from said fixed partsby partial rotation of the shaft thereby permitting axial motion of theshaft and its removal from said opening.

10. The combination according to claim 9, further characterized in thatsaid shaft is normally stationary and parallel to the axis of the supplyroll, and further characterized in that the gurn-spreading meanscomprises a doctor blade mounted on said stationary shaft and having anedge which is parallel to and adjacent to the surface of the supplyroll, and scraper means also mounted upon said normally stationary shaftfor removing surplus gum from the outer end of the supply roll and fromthe adjacent portion of the shaft on which the supply roll is mounted.

11. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the doctor blade isconnected to its normally stationary supporting shaft by means such asto permit the blade to be adjusted thereby to place its edge in accurateparallelism with and at the appropriate distance from the peripheralsurface of the supply roll, and means for so supporting said shaft thatit may be turned manually thereby to remove the doctor blade and scrapermeans from the supply roll to facilitate cleaning the latter.

12. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the shaft on whichthe doctor blade is mounted has a portion which is normally fitted intospaced, correspondingly stationary bushings from which the shaft may bewithdrawn by movement in an axial direction, and means normallyretaining said shaft in operative position.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein the means fornormally retaining said stationary shaft in operative position comprisesa rigid part projecting 10 with neighboring elements of the machine,normally limits motion of said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 739,159 9/1903Ensign 1l8261 X 1,433,215 10/1922 McCamant ll8243 1,486,674 3/1924 Meyer118262 X 1,663,232 3/1928 Ambler 118261 X 2,316,531 4/1943 Nivling118244 2,330,430 9/1943 Kantor et a1 118243 X 2,331,207 10/1943 Lodge118-262 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

radially from said shaft and which, merely by contact 15 L G. MACHLINAssistant Examinen

1. A LABELING MACHINE OF THE KIND WHEREIN LIQUID GUM IS TAKEN FROM ASUPPLY AND APPLIED TO A LABEL PICKER AND WHEREIN THE GUM IS HELD IN ANOPEN-TOPPED RECEPTACLE OR GUM BOX HAVING THEREIN A ROTATABLEGUM-ELEVATING ROLL SO ARRANGED AS TO BE PARTIALLY IMMERSED IN THE LIQUIDGUM, A SMOOTHLY CYLINDRICAL GUM-SUPPLY ROLL WHOSE AXIS IS PARALLEL TOTHAT OF THE ELEVATING ROLL AND WHOSE PERIPHERAL SURFACE IS ABOVE THELEVEL OF THE GUM IN THE RECEPTACLE AND WHICH IS SO ARRANGED AS TORECEIVE GUM FROM THE ELEVATING ROLL, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE GUM-SUPPLYROLL AT A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR VELOCITY, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THESUPPLY ROLL HAS A PERIPHERAL GROOVE APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY BETWEEN ITSENDS WITH GEAR TEETH DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVE, THE TIPS OF THE TEETHBEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLL, AND THEGUM-ELEVATING ROLL HAS A PERIPHERAL ROW OF TEETH WHICH MESH WITH THETEETH OF THE SUPPLY ROLL, WHEREBY THE MOTION OF THE SUPPLY ROLL ISTRANSMITTED TO THE ELEVATING ROLL, FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN HAVING ADOCTOR BLADE, HAVING A RECTILINEAR EDGE EXTENDING FROM END-TO-END OF THESUPPLY ROLL AND WHICH IS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE ROLL, AND MEANS FORADJUSTING SAID EDGE TOWARD OR FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLL THEREBY TOPROVIDE THE SURFACE OF THE SUPPLY ROLL WITH A LAYER OF GUM OFPREDETERMINED UNIFORM THICKNESS.